March 5, 2020
Dear Parents,
We have had a great week. I would like to congratulate Sofia who has now completed all of her drills. Way to go! Keep practicing a few minutes each night with your child. The time invested now will pay off in future math classes.
We have a four-day week ahead of us. The lesson 23 spelling test is next Friday. There will be no spelling homework next week. Memory for next week: John 3:5-6 “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” As we begin our third trimester, all work, in all subjects is in cursive. I will certainly be making adjustments for those children who need them. If you have any questions about this, please let me know.
March 13 is a Trinity Spirit Day. Then March 20 is a jeans and Christian T-shirt Day. March 20 is our last day before spring break.
Have a wonderful weekend!
In Christ,
Mrs. Gordon
All about Third Grade
First and foremost, it is just another year. Do not treat this grade any differently from any other. It is a year to grow and become more responsible, as with any new school year.
HOMEWORK: Mrs. Gordon does not give weekend homework. So you are an ambitious student and want more to do? Read for Accelerated Reader, work on multiplication and division facts, practice memory work for the upcoming week, write a letter to grandma or grandpa, or practice your cursive handwriting. Students, who fail to complete homework, without a really good excuse written by parents, will need to stay in from recess to complete work. Expect 30-45 minutes of homework each night, Monday- Thursday. Students who waste class time may need to spend more time at home on assignments.
FRIDAY FOLDERS: These continue throughout your child’s years at Trinity. The folder will contain all graded work from that week, a note from Mrs. Gordon, explaining details for the upcoming week, and a note from the school office titled, “Viking Voice.” Please always take time to look through this information. Lunch menus, choir schedules, field trip permission slips, special projects, and other information about specific events are all included in the folder. If you ever have a question, please ask.
MATH: Multiplication and division facts become an integral component of our math curriculum. We continue with the Saxon Math Program. There is no book until fourth grade. Sides A of the worksheets are completed in class, while side B is homework. Expect math homework every night, except Friday.
SPELLING: Spelling units are assigned on Monday, and due by Friday. A practice test is given on Wednesday, with the final test on Friday.
SCIENCE: Third graders engage in a wealth of hands-on science activities. We have a new program this year titled, Ohio Science Fusion. You will be able to access the book online through Think Central. Each chapter is followed by a test. I have created study guides for each chapter to aid in test preparation.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Our curriculum includes information about our government, how it operates, and some basic facts on American history. Students will begin learning their states and capitals. Again, tests are given after each chapter taught and study guides will be given to help prepare.
READING and LANGUAGE: We will continue to use the Journey’s Program that was used last year. We will take a weekly reading test on Friday that covers the story for that week. This year, for Language, I am combining three programs: Shurley English, Journeys, and Sadlier. There is so much to cover in language, and to ensure we are adequately covering state standards and still having fun, I am pulling out the best of these three programs. In Shurley English, your child will be singing jingles and classifying the parts of speech. Tests will happen every Thursday and will just hit upon one major skill. For example, one week it will just be on subjects and predicates and on the next week the four kinds of sentences. In many ways, this will be better for the children’s grades, as each test will not carry as much weight (since there are so many) and one low test score will not have as much impact. The Daily 5 will continue in third grade. These components include read to self, partner read, listen to reading, writing, and word work. This gives me the opportunity to work with small groups, while others are engaged in Daily 5. All third graders will be taking the third grade reading guarantee test this year.
MEMORY WORK: Memory work is always due by Thursday, but may be said early any day of the week (before 8:10). It will be due the first week of school, but will be a review. All that will be expected is John 3:16 and Genesis 1:1. Bibles are a gift from the church to each third grade student.
GYM: This is taught twice a week by Mrs. Gordon. Non marking gym shoes are needed. Gym uniforms start in fifth grade. Girls should wear pants or shorts on gym days, or wear shorts under their skirts.
CURSIVE HANDWRITING: The first two trimesters we review letter formation and connecting letters. Starting with the third trimester, all work in all subjects must be completed using cursive handwriting.
RELIGION: This is a very interactive class, with much of the work being done together in class. There is an occasional homework assignment, but no tests are given.
DISCIPLINE: We use a system with pins on a colored wheel. If a student pulls a pin, they move to the yellow section and lose five minutes of recess. A second pin pull moves them to blue, and they lose all of their recess. A third pull is red and results in a phone call home. It rarely happens that a student moves a fourth time in one day, but should this happen, they are sent to Mr. Landskroener’s office.
DIRECTIONS: Always follow directions carefully, and read through them twice before starting any assignment. Always write in complete sentences, unless instructed otherwise. Ten percent is deducted for turning in a no name, or late paper.
If you have any questions, please ask. I am happy to answer all of your questions.
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