Twelve Days of Christmas Project

We just finished up our latest writing project, the 12 days of Christmas songs. Check out the video to here us explain the process, and listen to our songs. Click here to watch the video.

Christmas Fun

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Thankfulness

We have so much to be thankful for.  We spent some time last week writing about it.  Our writing is hanging in the hallway, but I know that many of you aren't able to stop by and read it.  So, we decided to make a video of us reading our Thanksgiving compositions.  Click here to enjoy the video. 

I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Halloween Silliness Continued

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Polygon Song

This video was posted on YouTube but is not a public video. It will not show up in a search. The only access to the video is through this blog.

JibJab Silliness

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Symmetrical Skeletures

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Fractions

Our focus in Math this week is fractions.  Third graders are expected to be able to identify fractions as being a fractional part of one whole (example: 3/4 of a circle), or as a fractional part of a set (example: 2/3 of the pencils are sharpened). 
We have done several fun activities this week!  We started Monday with a Readers' Theater about fractions.  Click here to view the video of our play.  Tuesday we used colored goldfish to model fractional parts of a set.  Wednesday we had some fun doing "Beary Colorful Fractions," and today is going to be a mean game of Fraction Bingo! 
I think through these great activities we are mastering our fraction skills! 

Team Work

Often times at the end of a unit of study, students will work together to complete a project.  As we wrapped up the first 6 weeks, the students worked in groups to complete a setting project for Reading.  They also worked together on a Social Studies project to create maps of our classroom.  Please check out the pictures below to see some of the incredible team work displayed by the students in order to accomplish some fabulous projects!

Our Class Book Report

We just finished reading The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo.  Please watch our video and we will tell you about how important the settings were to the story.  Click here to view the video.

First Two Weeks

This is an amazing group of students! They are doing great at settling in to our classroom routines, and they are very respectful of our classroom procedures. Our class even received a compliment on the morning show this morning. They were bragging on us for standing quietly, and using our manners while going through the cafeteria line. What a proud moment! I believe that a well structured classroom leads to some amazing learning . . .

New Year

I am very excited to begin a new year! I can hardly wait to know who my students will be. This will be my seventh year teaching 3rd Grade, and I'm ready to jump in. I'm very passionate and diligent about finding ways to teach the content, while still having fun. I love to incorporate tons of technology and cooperative groups in my teaching. I strive to help my students grow in character as well as excel in academics. I look forward to the experiences we will share and the memories that will be made!

Safety City

Last week we visited Safety City. It was a great chance to learn about bike, pedestrian, and fire safety. We got a little wet in the rain, but still had a blast! Here are some pictures:

Kite Flying

What a fun packed day! This afternoon we were able to buddy up with Mrs. Guebara's Kindergarten class and help them fly kites. Here are a few pictures:

Sand Dad

We had a special guest on campus today! Jon Woodworth, Sand Dad, was visiting Lamar today as part of our Arts in Education program. The program is part of our PTA and is headed up by Margaret Lupton, Philip's mom. Mr. Woodworth is a talented artist who sculpts sand. It was a special treat for us to be able to watch him create an amazing piece of art in just a day and a half. Please cruise by Lamar this weekend and check it out for yourself!

Practice TAKS Tests

The TAKS tests are approaching in the end of April. I am really proud of the progress that all of the kids are making. I know they will all do so well. If you would like to see what the test looks like or perhaps give it a go yourself, here is the link to the online tests. Click here to see the tests. Have fun!!

Student Teacher

We are lucky to have a student teacher in our classroom for 7 weeks. Ms. Christine Rico will be working in the classroom until Spring Break. Ms. Rico is doing a super job! For the next two weeks, she will be in charge of planning and teaching all of the lessons. I know that the kids will enjoy the activities that she has planned. In the meantime, I have some more time to work with small groups of students and make sure that everyone is on track. I hope you get the chance to meet Ms. Rico and make her feel at home in our classroom!

100th Day of School

I can hardly believe that we are 100 days into this school year! It seems like just yesterday that we were meeting and beginning the year. I'm already dreading letting them go in May! This is just the best group of kids!
I am very proud of the progress that we have made. Everyone is working hard to master our Third Grade content. I certainly am seeing lots of growth.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the year. Everyday I am amazed at the thirst for knowledge and I hope to continue to push them in their desire to learn!

My One Word

I challenged the students this week to do something beyond their age. We began a project that is based on the idea found at www.myoneword.org. The premise behind the idea is that too many of us make shallow New Year's resolutions instead of evaluating our character. We spent some time evaluating ourselves and talking about the kind of people we would like to become. Then we each listed those ideas and chose one word that would encompass those qualities. I was amazed at the thought that went into some of the word choices and the maturity that was shown. We then each took our word and wrote a paragraph explaining our choice. The paragraph explains the challenges we might face and the goals we have set for ourselves to become a person of high character. I'm super excited about this assignment and hope to find a way to post some of our projects. So now parents it's your turn. I challenge you to spend a few minutes analyzing yourself and pick your one word!

Back in the Grove

We are getting back in the swing of things! We spent some time yesterday reviewing our class rules and procedures. We really had a great day! I think the hardest part was trying to control our stomachs. We have gotten used to snacking whenever and eating lunch at different times, so getting our bodies back in routine may take a few days. Please send a healthy snack with your child to help.