Big news!

The Community Building Team at Parmenter Elementary School has been looking into the issue of homework and the added stress and anxiety that it causes many students and families outside of the school day.  The third grade team is embracing the research that supports the fact that much of this stress and anxiety can be alleviated if children have more time to play, relax, and enjoy their families and after-school activities.

We have decided to pilot a new perspective on homework in third grade.  From now until the end of the year, students will be expected to continue to do their 20 minutes of reading each night AND their 10 minutes of math fact practice each night (because these two activities have been shown to significantly improve students’ reading and math skills). However, we are eliminating the usual written math practice sheets AND the written weekly reading logs as homework. Instead, students will be discussing their weekly reading and math practice on Fridays.

Long-term and periodic projects such as the MA Scavenger Hunt Scrapbooks and the Moon Journals will continue to be an integral part of the third grade learning experience.  There may also be occasional work sent home with individuals for reasons due to extenuating circumstances such as extended absence or incomplete school work.

We have not taken this decision lightly and have considered it from all angles. We truly think this change is in the best interest of every elementary student in our grade and look forward to how it will positively affect your family lives! As partners in your children’s education, we thank you for your continued and invaluable support and we will be looking for your feedback at the end of the school year.

Book Fair

Next week is book fair at Parmenter School.  Please consider helping out.  Mrs. Williamson is in need of volunteers to help make the book fair successful.  Please contact her if you are able to help in any way.  Thank you!

School newspaper

The reporters have been hard at work publishing the latest edition of our school newspaper.  Here is a link to it.  Enjoy!

Reading buddies

Today we spent some time with Mrs. Zarrella's class. Lots of great stories were read.

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

     Recently our class read Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech. This is a wonderful story that explores relationships within families and friends, all while making some delicious food.One of the main characters, Bailey, is blind.  We explored this topic by looking at some books written in braille.  The children found them fascinating!

 

     One of the foods that the characters made was homemade pasta. As you know, we spent some time last week making pasta so that the children would understand that aspect of the text.  They LOVED it!  It was a crazy day, but it certainly informed them of the hard work that goes into creating a delicious meal.  It was a terrific way to incorporate math into a real life experience, too!

 

 

     These hands on experiences helped make Granny Torrelli even more interesting to the children. There is no doubt that they will remember this story, and the accompanying activities for a long time.

Sound

Yesterday we were fortunate to have Atomic A visit our classroom to teach us about sound.  Here are some pictures of the day:

A big THANK YOU to the PCC for funding this wonderful learning opportunity.  Photo credits to Ms. Howell.

Braille

Our class is reading Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech.  One of the main characters, Bailey, is blind.  We have been talking about how braille is a system of writing used to make books for blind people to read.  Here is a great website that the children can use to investigate Braille.

New Year Update

     Happy New Year!  The children seem to have all made New Years Resolutions to work hard. They have accomplished so much already in 2017!

     In reading they are working together in a variety of book clubs.  They are reading Mrs. Lane is a Pain by Dan Gutman, Miss Daisy is Crazy by Dan Gutman, Dragon Masters by Tracey West, Island by Gordon Korman, Andy Shane by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Goldie by Ellen Miles, Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko and Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant.  All students are working on sharing their thoughts about the text, and supporting their opinions with specific details from the text.  It has been quite enjoyable to listen in on group discussions as they talk about what they are reading.  Be sure to ask your child about what they are currently reading.

     In math we have moved into using place value to add and subtract multi-digit numbers.  The students are doing well at showing their work, and are meeting success with this topic.  In the coming weeks we will be checking all addition answers by subtracting, and all subtraction work by adding.

     The students have been doing a variety of writing since returning. They began with New Year's Resolutions.  Then they replied to their pen pals from Kennedy School.  This week we have been trying different types of poetry, specifically haiku poems and heart maps.  We will begin a longer project next week, writing persuasive essays.

      Families often ask how they can help their child be more successful.  I would encourage you to read with your child whenever you have the opportunity.  Making it a nightly habit is something both of you will remember forever.  Look over their weekly reading logs and notice if they are putting their best effort into this endeavor.  Are they reading independently for at least 15-20 minutes every day?  Are their responses thoughtful and meaningful?  Start a journal or blog with your child.  Record family events, and share those journals or blogs with other family members.  Sneak in any reading or writing activities any where that you can.  Any time you get excited about literacy, your child will automatically get excited, too.  It is that contagious!  Next time you are waiting for one child to finish an after school activity, bring a book to share with the child who is waiting with you, and read it together.  The time will fly by, and you will be developing more memories for you both.  Lastly, practice those math facts any opportunity you get.  If you are waiting in line, throw some facts out to your child.  If you  are going on a long drive, throw out some math facts.  If you have two minutes before the bus comes in the morning, throw out those math facts.  You will avoid the "I'm bored" comments, and your child will have fun learning something new because they got to do it with you! Having a strong foundation of math facts will make all future math that much easier for your child.