1. Happy New Year! January 2016 Tid-Bits… Happy New Year! It is my hope that everyone had a refreshing holiday break! I’m looking forward to a great new year with these third graders. They’ve all worked so hard and made great gains both academically and socially thus far. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the school year has in store for them! Thank you, thank you for all of the generous Christmas cards and gifts! Your thoughtfulness means so much to me and I am very grateful for each and every one of your children. Spending my days helping them and watching them grow is so rewarding! So thank you for sharing them with me! 1/15- SIP: ½ Day 11:30-Walkers 11:45 Bus Riders 1/18- No School: MLK Jr. Day 1/25 -Book Orders Due 1/26 -Timelines Due(Information to come) As always, feel free to e-mail or call me with any questions or concerns you have throughout the course of the year! bwalsh@central51.net Please continue to practice basic facts with your child. Our main focus is on multiplication facts at this point. Flash cards will start coming home for them to master! Please ensure these get sent back to school each day with your child. They will have up to 3 days to master a set. After a set is mastered, they’ll be given the next set to study. This facts are crucial in helping them do their best with more in-depth concepts. XtraMath and IXL are great tools. (See reverse) The January reading goal is 6 chapter books ! Please encourage at least 15 to 20 minutes a night along with the log! This reading practice is crucial in helping them be successful! Know… Dates to

2. Math…. Writing & Grammar… Continuing Expository: Country Essay, How To’s, Biographies, Autobiographies, etc… Friendly Letters: Pen Pal Letters Paired Text Nouns: Concrete/Abstract, Possessive Science/S.S. Reading…. Forces and Motion How Things Move : Motion & Speed, Forces, Changes in Motion Work & Machines : Doing Work, Levers & Pulleys, More Simple Machines Unit 5: Fractions and Multiplication Strategies (See Family Letter) Standards: 3.NF.1- Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts. 3.NF.2- Understand a fraction as a number on the number line: represent fractions on a number line diagram. 3.NF.3 - Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. 3.OA.7 - Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division or properties of operations. By the end of grade 3, know from memory all products of 2 one-digit numbers. XTRA Math: This is a great tool to help students master their basic facts! Please take advantage of this program at home. Let me know if you have problems logging in. IXL: Just a reminder that IXL is great practice for common third grade math skills! Please utilize this tool! Any of the skills are great practice. Our focus over the next few weeks is Multiplication and Fractions. Goal : Master Basic Multiplication Facts- Practice flashcards on a nightly basis. Biographies & Timelines- Students are reading a biography in class and then doing a biography project that correlates.