Damselfly, Daphnia, and Aphids......Predator-Prey Relationships

It is hard for me to believe that September is almost over and October is almost here!  Time goes by so quickly.  The weather last week sure made it feel like fall was approaching.  I had some students very chilly at recess so please remember to dress your child in layers.  It is much chillier in the morning before school than it may be during 2:00 recess.  It does sound like this week is suppose to be very nice!  I am just not quite ready for fall and winter so a few more nice days would be wonderful!

We continue to be very busy in 3B!  There are lots of activities going on, and the students are working hard!  I am so impressed with their overall behavior and dedication to learning.  It makes my job so much easier to have the students I do so thank you!  They are fabulous!!!!

If your 3B child did not tell you, we started our MISIC test (also known as MAPs test) last Friday.  Students in 3rd grade are taking three test: language, reading, and math.  Today, Monday, we are taking the reading portion of the test followed by math on Tuesday.  Then we will be done!  I have been giving the students yummy "brain food" in the morning as it is hard to come to school and have a big test already at 8:45, but that is what was scheduled for 3B.  They have been doing a fabulous job, trying hard, and taking their time.  When completed, the students' test scores will be analyzed and used to determine goals and obtain information about the students as well as each grade.  I am sure the students will be glad to be done tomorrow, even though one said to me today, "I like having MAPs test in the morning because we get yummy brain food!".  :)

Science continues to be a favorite time of day for 3B.  Our latest "guest" have been daphnia, damselfly nymphs, and we continue to monitor our aphids, fruit flies, and ants.  Last Friday, we discussed the concept of "predator-prey" relationships and watched what happen when we put the daphnia with the damselfly nymphs.  The students will realize later today when they check the population of each that one of them no longer exist in the their containers.  Our fruit fly population has tripled so there has been lots of discussion about why that has happened, as well as our aphid population.  Our last visitor will be introduced this week and will show another "predator-prey" relationship that we will focus on as we continue to build our knowledge about plant and animal populations.  Below is a picture of what the daphnia and damselfly nymphs look like.

damselfly

daphnia (enlarged)

We are wrapping up unit 1 in math, which reviewed concepts from last year.  Students will begin taking the unit 1 assessments this week.  No material will be sent home for students to use to study. I just wanted to let you know where we are at.  Unit 1 covered such areas/topics as time, place value, number grids, skip counting, and money.

Thank you so much for participating and publishing a piece of writing for our individual books about ourselves.  This was a new project 3rd grade decided to do this year, and the students have loved it!  If you have not returned your "homework" to publish and illustrate your part about your 3B child, please do so and return as soon as possible!  We are finishing up today and tomorrow, and I would like to put their individual books together this week.  We will be moving into an activity with clay to look at how writing is like art and connect the writing process to art in our upcoming lessons.

The students went through their first "practice" week of word works.  This is another component of our literacy that is similar to "spelling".  I will be making a post explaining each days' activities to foster retention and understanding of our "word list words" so that you as parents know what your child is working on in word works and when you can look for his/her list to come home so you can practice the words together.  Last week was a practice run, this week is the "real thing".  :)

Just a reminder that this week we have a 3 hour early out for teacher inservice.  Please be sure your 3B child knows where he/she is suppose to be going that day.

Enjoy the week and make it a great one!

How Full is Your Bucket?

our "bucket filling bulletin board"

"Each of us has an invisible bucket.  When our bucket is full, we feel great.  When it's empty, we feel awful.  Yet most children, and many adults, don't realize the importance of having a full bucket throughout the day."

This is what is written on the inside cover of the book titled How Full is your Bucket?.  This is a wonderful book about a boy named Felix who begins to see how ever interaction during the day either fills or empties his bucket.  He realizes that filling someone else's bucket also fills his own.  I read this book to the students one of the first days of school, and you probably saw the buckets hanging on the bulletin board the night of Open House.  Well, we have been putting these buckets to good use since then and the students are giving out lots of "bucket fillers" every day!  I am so pleased with their comments and how they are treating one another both in the classroom and out.  Every day the students have a chance to verbally give "bucket fillers" as well as written ones.  I  thought I would enclose a picture of the "buckets" at the end of the day today.  While it is not important how MANY everyone gets, what is more important is that everyone is giving them, which means they are also receiving them as well.

If you have not read the book, I suggest you do.  It is a picture book that has a lot of meaning to it.  I hope the students always remember what it means to "fill someone's bucket" no matter where they are. :)

September 11th Human Flag

In honor of September 11th, 2001, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary made a human flag to commemorate the 10th anniversary of this day in our history.  The picture says it all......

3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary 

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

Science is turning into the favorite part of the day, and the kids are loving it!  They are so engaged and excited about all our "visitors" that they can't wait for science to start, which is the last part of the day.  In case your 3B child has not told you, our most recent visitors are fruit flies.  Students are watching their populations grow and decline as well as the various stages of a fruit flies life cycle.  Besides that, our plants are growing like crazy and we will be meeting our next "guest" tomorrow.    Wonder what it will be?

I am posting some pictures from our recent "field trip" outside to explore plants and animals around our school grounds.  This gave us good data to talk about what we saw more of, plants or animals, and further our discussion on "organisms".  The pictures are pretty cute if I do say so myself.  :)

Other things that have been happening are we have launched our "work on writing" as well as "read to someone" last week.  Students are building their stamina and continue to improve showing me they are ready to jump into guided reading.  We will continue with building our "read to someone strategies" this week as well as launch "word works".  Next week, we will be ready for total literacy and Daily 5 time!  Can't wait!

Last Friday we had some wonderful discussions about September 11th.  The students are very curious about that day and we had some emotion as well, including from the teacher.  I hope you had some time this weekend to watch some of the TV episodes about September 11th and have further discussions with your 3rd grade student.  Our discussion will continue today and tomorrow as well.  We will be creating a human flag with the 4th and 5th graders today in memory of September 11th.  Look for pictures of that to be posted soon!

We are wrapping up unit 1 in math.  We have some discussion and lessons to cover on making change, reviewing number grids, and then we are looking at unit 1 assessment.  There is no real way to study for these assessments so don't be looking for your 3B child to bring something home to study. Just a reminder though that there are many online games posted on my blog page that students can work on to reinforce concepts we are working on in school.  I know there are a few students who have been using them outside of class.  Super!

Elementary students will also be starting MAPs testing soon.  I think it is next week, but I am not sure of the schedule yet.  These are the district assessments that students take online at the beginning of the year and the end of the year to show growth.  Look for a letter from Mrs. Sovereign or comments from myself   to be sent home soon.  No need to stress about them.....all we ask is that students try their best.

Have a great week!  Enjoy the day as it sounds like a cool front is moving in!

Busy Week Ahead!

Hello everyone!  I hope you enjoyed your 3 day weekend.  Mine was perfect as we had a wedding Friday night and then spent the rest of the weekend at the Kerian family cabin up by Mankato.  Had lots of fun tubing and kneeboarding.....and trying to stay warm!  Now it is time to wake up!  :)

We have a busy week ahead with lots going on.  To start with, I wanted to make a comment about book orders.  I am sending home our first book order for the year.  There are four different orders stapled together that your 3B child should have brought home today.  If you are ordering from book orders, please fill out each individual order form for the books you are selecting.   Return only the book orders you are ordering from.  You may then write a check to me, Kim Kerian, or pay cash.  The reason the check should be made out to me is that I order the books online so they come faster and use my credit card to pay for them so making the check out to me saves a lot of time.  There are some wonderful books in the book orders so hopefully you will find something your 3B child would enjoy to read.   Please return the book orders with the money by this Friday so that I can order them this coming weekend.

We had our first shipment of "mystery objects" arrive last week for science. Sadly, they did not survive.  (We never have any luck with this shipment).  Hopefully your 3B student shared with you our discovery of "sea monkeys", properly known as "brine shrimp".  Even though our sea monkeys did not hatch, the students did see a video of the animals hatching and growing.   There is a picture below to show what they looked like.

We will have more "arrivals" throughout the next few weeks and hopefully they will all survive. :)  Last Friday we planted various seeds so that we have some "food" for one of the "mystery objects" arriving.  Wonder what it is?

We are wrapping up our first unit on math soon.  It has been basically review or 2nd grade concepts, and I am very impressed with the math skills in 3B!  Wow!

Last week we also launched the second part of Daily 5 in literacy known as "Work on Writing".  Everyone was very anxious to get writing and already have their stamina up to 10 minutes on the first day!  Awesome!  We will continue to work on building our "Read to Self" stamina as I wrap up beginning of the year assessments this week.

Thank you to everyone for returning their "parent homework" and writing about their 3B student.  We are having a super time creating our own versions of Who is Melvin Bubble so much that the students don't want to stop writing in the morning.  That is a super thing to see!  I enjoyed reading your comments about your student, and they were full of smiles that mom and/or dad took the time to participate in this activity!  So fun!  We should have the published copy soon......but their may be one more step for you, the parents, to do at home so be ready.

Have a super week!  Remember it is chilly in the morning so remind your child to bring a coat or sweatshirt as they stand outside for quite a while before school.

3B's Favorites for the Week

Carter:  Guidance with Mrs. McCabe
River:  Math
Trey:  science activities with the brine shrimp
Taylor:  Guidance with Mrs. McCabe
Christian:  laffy taffy jokes
Jasmine:  science activities
Summer:  guidance
Lauren:  guidance
Katia:  planting our seeds in science
Morgan:  having the class together with her
Nicole:  guidance
Dylan: the whole week!
Karissa:  Melvin Bubble writing activity
Connor:  Melvin Bubble writing activity
Haylee:  guidance
Alyssa:  planting our seeds
Kassie:  art
Mrs. Kerian: we made it to 10 minutes on work on writing the first day!

We are sad that we have a student moving today! His name is Christian and we will miss him as he moves to Decorah.  Hopefully we will see him sometime soon or he will come and visit!  Good luck Christian!  3B will miss you!