Parent Conferences
  
It’s almost time to begin reporting on student progress for the first quarter of the school year.  Parent conferences will be held in October, as indicated on the sign-up sheet being sent home Tuesday, Oct. 1st. (First quarter report cards will be issued in November.) Please return your parent conference form as soon as possible.  I’ll confirm your response on a first come, first serve basis. I look forward to meeting with every family in the weeks ahead.  3rd grade students are welcome to attend conferences with Mrs. Robinson and parents!  Our goal will be to show our united support for your child's success this year. 

The Worms are Coming!  The Worms are Coming!

 We are expecting the arrival of our red-wiggler worms at the end of this week! 

We have prepared our classroom terrarium with layers of soil, created to represent bedrock, weathered rock/sand, subsoil/clay, topsoil and humus (including peet moss.)  This environment will be suitable for observing our red-wiggler worms, investigating what they will do and how they will behave.  Worms are known to create healthy soil which, in turn, contributes to the health of plants.  We will use our worms to encourage scientific investigations throughout the year. 

One of the experiments that will resurface frequently will be how the worms will respond to "food."  I will be sending home a list of acceptable "scraps" that we can use to "feed" the worms.  Students who are interested in helping might ask you for a little help with saving and bringing certain types of food scraps to school.  A few students each week will be asked to assist with gathering "food."  Thank you for your participation when the time comes.

What's Up in Third Grade?

     International Day of Peace

     Coincidentally, International Day of Peace falls on Saturday, September 21st, just as we are studying our new Maps and Globes unit.  Having also just completed activities which illustrate the wonders of diversity, we will honor this special day by watching an amazing video of musicians and artists from around the world working together to provide a moving and creative musical experience.  We will focus on the different people and places on different continents that were included in this venture.  If you'd like to see it, go to....

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

What’s up in Third Grade?

The Real Thief by William Steig

It wasn’t Gawain who was stealing the treasure after all!  One day, weeks ago, Derek the Mouse, came upon a small hole in the corner of the treasury building.  He was tempted to take only one small jewel, but one led to two and three and so on… The jewels have created such a beautiful interior for Derek’s poor little home. But after a while, the shimmery shiny jewels cease to sparkle.  How could an innocent mouse with no history of wrong-doing become a criminal?  With Gawain in jail, Derek would never be discovered.  Or would he?  How could Derek live with himself and never be able to tell anyone his secret?  What if he confessed to the king that he had taken the jewels?  Would the other animals in the kingdom forgive Gawain?  What would become of Derek?  How will the story end?  Will Derek find Gawain?  Do you think there will be a happy ending?

Student projects created in response to The Real Thief will be on display at Back to School Night!  I look forward to seeing all the parents for the most important session of the year!

Back to School Night is 

Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 6:00-7:30.