Department of Education of the City of NewYork
The Francis J. Murphy, Jr.
Public School 39
Tracey A. Wright, Principal 71 Sand Lane
Kasandra Lopez-Garcia Asst. Principal Staten Island, New York 10305
Keena Flournoy-White Asst. Principal 718-447-4543 – Fax 718-447-0500
June 2016
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Our second graders had a very busy year learning many new skills, especially in ELA (English Language Arts) and Math. In order for a solid foundation to be built, mastery of these skills is veryimportant. Toward that end, we are attaching a packet for the students to complete over the summer.This packet consists of four homework assignments.
Reading/ Writing
We are requesting that each child read the book Freckle Juice by Judy Blume. Upon completion of the book, each child will be required to choose a way in which to respond.
Please see the attached list of possible responses. It is our goal to have the students excitedabout reading and responding. In addition to reading Freckle Juice, we are asking that your childread books of their choosing for at least 15 minutes a day during the summer. There is no need tolog this reading, but they will be required to log their reading Monday-Friday during the school yearstarting in September.
In addition to the Freckle Juice assignment, the students will be required to complete the twoReadWorks assignments (ATTACHED).
Writing is an integral part of third grade. When the students enter third grade in September, we willbe introducing our routines to ensure that they are aware of the expectations of the Writer’sWorkshop. Upon completion of this introduction, the students will begin the personal narrative unit. Apersonal narrative tells a story of something that happened to you. It could be a special memory withsomeone you care about or an experience you will never forget. Your summer writing assignmentis to choose a special moment from this summer and write about it. Please use the pre-writeworksheet (ATTACHED) to jot down ideas about the special moment in sequential order.Then, use a sheet of looseleaf paper to draft your writing. Remember to start with an introductionthat will “hook your reader.” Then in the following paragraph, use specific details to describe themoment. Be sure to include voice when you are writing. What is voice? It shows the writer’s personality, it sounds different from everyone else’s, it contains feelings and emotions, the wordscome to life, and it comes from the heart. Finally, your last paragraph will be your conclusion, whereyou will write about what you felt in your personal narrative. Be sure to write your final publishedpiece on loose-leaf and attach the pre-write and your draft.
Math
Your child’s knowledge of the basic math skills is essential. They set the foundation for the skills thatwill be learned and practiced in third grade and throughout your child’s life. Your child will berequired to complete the attached math packet that reviews concepts and skills that were learnedin second grade. In third grade, your child will build upon these skills. You may also have your childvisit math websites to practice skills in which they are struggling. Some websites include:
grade-math- games.html
math.html
Please be sure to complete all 4 required assignments, and hand them in on the first dayof school, Thursday, September 8, 2016. We look forward to working with you and your child in thecoming school year. Have a happy and safe summer!
Sincerely,
The Third Grade Teachers
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Creative Ways to Respond to Literature
Please choose one of the following ways to respond to the book Freckle Juice by Judy Blume:
1. Compose at least 5 journal entries from the point of view of a character from the book FreckleJuice.
2. Create a poster that will invite readers to read Freckle Juice. Don’t give too much informationaway, but just enough to get others interested.
3. Create a song about Freckle Juice. Be sure to include the who, what, when, where, why, andhow.
4. Write a letter to a friend persuading him or her to read Freckle Juice.
5. Write a short summary of Freckle Juice and think of an alternative ending. Be creative!