Thursday, September 11, 2008 Montgomery Elementary Room M6

Home-School Connection

I am looking forward to meeting many of you at our open house on September 25th.

We are off to a good start here in room M6 and I thank you for helping your child transition from summer to school successfully.

Ready and Reading

In Reading this week we read Marc Brown’s Arthur Writes a Story. Ask your child all about the story Arthur writes. Your child will get an opportunity to write their very own story just like Arthur. They will be writing about how they got something that is special to them. I look forward to reading these stories.

Easing into English

In English we have started our first unit which will review the basics. We have been learning about what is and is not a sentence and next we will review the difference between statements and questions. This will serve as a foundation when we do more and more writing this year.

Magnificent Maps

We have begun our first Social Studies Unit. Our first unit of study will be Map Skills. We started by discussing the difference between a map and a globe. Then we located, labeled, and discussed the seven continents and soon the four oceans.

Adding and Achieving

In Math we have been reviewing our addition facts. Flashcards have been a big part of our review and I suggest that if you don’t already have flashcards, you can make some out of index cards with your child. It is important for your child to know the facts before we go on to more challenging math problems.

We have also been working hard in Unit 1 with our brand new math books. As you have seen from homework assignments, this unit focuses on place value. The students have reviewed even and odd, using a number line, and finding patterns with numbers. We are focusing now on the value of numbers and writing numbers in both standard and expanded form.

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Looking for another way to practice addition and subtraction facts?

Check out this online flashcard program with your child.

Spelling Success

In Spelling we are getting ready for our first spelling test tomorrow.

Each week your child will receive a spelling list of the words for the week. This list can stay at home on your refrigerator if you like. The student’s nightly homework is very important for learning these spelling words. I encourage you to give your child a practice test before Friday’s spelling test.

Crazy for Cursive

Cursive is a new subject added to your child’s day. We have begun to learn to write in cursive. We will learn about one new letter a day. It will take a lot of time and practice but the students are very enthusiastic. If your child would like to practice at home, that’s great! Please allow them to only practice the letters that we have learned in class. Also, if you are interested in buying them cursive paper to practice on, the ½ inch lined cursive paper is the appropriate paper for third grade (or just ask for a few sheets and I will send it home).

Noteworthy News

Please remember to initial the planner nightly (all five nights). Individual homework assignments do not need to be signed. Also, please remember to sign both the Thursday and Friday (green) folders. Please have your child return these folders on the very next school day.

Time for Time

Today we used our first issue of Time for Kids. Thank you to all of you who have already sent in the money for this weekly classroom news magazine. If you have not already sent in the $5.00 in cash please do so as soon as possible. ~thanks.

Thanks for helping your child get off to a great start!