Week of September 27 - October 1

Hello parents,



I want to first appologize for not updating the blog last week. There will be times that we will not get to it, but hopefully they will be few and far between. If you ever have any questions, you can always email me at frittsb1@k12tn.net.



Here's what we are studying this week.

Literacy: Realistic fiction (It seems real and could possibly have happened, but the people are still characters and it's still a made up story). Flat Stanley - Beginning our Flat Stanely adventure journals this past weekend. I hope everyone saw them at your home. If not, ask for them. Also, a classroom from Rhode Island is going to host our Flat Stanley and we will be hosting their Stanley. I don't have the dates yet, but please be ready to help your child write and be creative with our host Stanley. As always, we are working on character, setting, and plot with every book we read. Please make sure you ask questions about these things every time your child reads with you.

Writing: We are making a podcast for our pen pals. Also, we are exploring what journaling looks like for our Flat Stanley journals. We are also finishing up our acrostic poems.

English: We are working on verbs (action) and how they relate to nouns in a sentence. A verb describes a noun. ex. The house shook during the earthquake. Please help your child identify the verbs when they write or read.

Math: We are finishing up peremeter and are going to start measurement.

Social Studies: Our focus is on culture and tradition. Also, we will be focusing on Rhode Island and how it differs from where we live (rural vs. city).

We have some really big things planned for the next few weeks. If anyone would like to come in and help out during class and already has their background check, please let me know. If you don't have a background check and are interested, please let me know and I will help you get the process started.

ANNOUNCEMENTS::: Our first PTO meeting will be this Thursday, September 30th @ 6:00. Please feel free to come by and see me and join in around the school to help make it a great place. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me as well.

Here's what we are studying for this week.

Literacy: Sequencing ( The order of a story. Look for words like first, then, after, next, finally, etc.)

Reading: The Gardener in the Scott Forseman reader. The main focus for this story is again, main idea (what the story is all about, the big picture) and sequencing.

Writing: We are continuing the sequencing in our writing.

Spelling: This weeks words have a oi and ou sound. All spelling homework (ABC order, words in a sentence, and highlight the oi, ou sounds) is due by Friday. You may turn it in any time before then but no later than Friday.

Math: We are covering place value up to 1000. Please review this skill with your child.

Science: We are talking about animal life cycles.

Social Studies: Reviewing communities this week. Please review the meaning and of this word and give plenty of examples still.

Scholastic orders

Scholastic is offering a great program where parents can go online and order books from the catalog we pass out at school and earn our classroom a free book with each order. Here's how it works. Log onto http://pcool.scholastic.com/parentordering/login.jsp?ESP=PAR/ib//eng/quick_pcool///phlp/txtl/// and register. Then you can enter the code GTQFH to give our class a free book. You only have to register once and just log in from here on out. If you have any questions, email me at frittsb1@k12tn.net. Thanks so much!

...just a reminder...

Health forms have to be turned in tomorrow if you want your child to receive the flu vaccination. If you need a form, please give me a call and I will make sure your child gets another one. However, you will have to come by and sign it.

There is no school Monday. Please enjoy the long weekend and come back prepared to take the spelling test Tuesday.

If you need to get in contact with us, please call or send a note. If you leave a message on the blog, we can't guarantee that we will get it in a timely manner. We just want to make sure we get back to our parents as quickly as possible. Thanks so much.

please look for this weeks lessons coming tomorrow!

Be patient. This weeks overview will be up tomorrow. Thanks again for being so patient. Have a good week!

Week of August 23 - 27th

Welcome back to the best 3rd grade class in Tennesee! We've made it to week two with hopefully not too many snags. Things should begin to smooth out and become more routine. Here's what we are studying for this week.



Literacy: Fiction vs. Nonfiction. An easy way to remember the difference is that each word only has no in it once. For example: fiction = not real

nonfiction = real

Reading: Prudy's Problem in the Scott Forseman reader. The main focus for this story is again, main idea (what the story is all about, the big picture)

Writing: We are finishing up pen pal letters. Please ask your child about these. They are so excited. Also, we are working on nonfictional pieces for science.

Spelling: This weeks words have a short (a) and a short (i) sound. All spelling homework is due by Friday. You may turn it in any time before then but no later than Friday.

Math: We are hitting two digit addition and subtratction with regrouping hard. Please review these skills with your child.

Science: Introducing plant and animal cells. Please make sure you work with your child on their project due Monday. Please know that this is a family assignment. Help is encouraged.

Social Studies: We are going to start communities this week. Please review the meaning and of this word and give plenty of examples.

Week one

I hope by now you are finding your way to our blog. You will find anything on here that is important in our classroom. Here is an overview for the week of August 16th -20th.

English: ABC order, correcting sentences with spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors, synonym and antonyms and a noun review.

Literacy: fact and opinion (homework sheet), parts of a friendly letter, labeling an envelop by using correct abbreviation and comma placement. Please be looking for a permission slip for pen pals.

Reading: Boomtown from the Scott Forsman reader. Identifying the main idea in books and writings. (This is a skill we will be working on all year. Please get used to identifying out the main idea in everything you read at home.)

Spelling: Spelling will be homework. It is due the next day. I don't give homework on Wednesdays and Fridays. You will always find each week's list on the blog and in their OWL folders. This weeks words all have the short vowel sounds in common. Please make sure your child understands the connection these words have. Understanding and identifying the connection is just as important as spelling them correctly.

Monday - Highlight the short vowel sound.

Tuesday - ABC order

Thursday - Use each word in a sentence.