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Language Arts
Students will finish up their non-fiction guided reading books and jump in to new fiction novels!  Last week we began our new read aloud, Swindle.  We are eagerly anticipating Gordon Korman’s visit in March and are really enjoying this book so far—it’s full of suspense and adventure!

We will also be studying functional passages and materials in reading.  A functional passage relates useful information and facts.  Directions and recipes are examples of functional reading materials.  Functional material, also called informational material, is writing that is intended to convey information or demonstrate how to do something. Some examples are the writing on a cereal box, road directions, and instructions on how to put a bookcase together.  Being able to digest and understand these types of readings are so important because they are types of reading we do frequently each day.  

In writing we will be editing our friendly letters.  Tonight, students will be bringing home a short homework assignment focusing on properly writing addresses.  This is important for a couple of reasons, mainly being that we were surprised, as a third grade team, to learn that many of our students don’t know their home addresses!  This homework will also help us address real envelopes so we can send our letters.  We are hoping to get them mailed out in the next couple of weeks!

Our cursive is off to a great start and we have now learned 8 letters.  This week we will review the letters we already learned, plus add the letters l, f, u, and y!

Word Work
We will continue to study the following strategies: when a base word ends with a consonant and y, change the y to i before adding –es or –ed; when a base word ends with a vowel and y, just add –s or –ed.  Words of study include dries, keys, libraries, stories, families, carried, and tried.

Science
Scientists will be busy connecting science to music this week as we build rubber band guitars, “washtub basses,” a wide variety of drums, and straw wind instruments.  Students will also enjoy the book The Remarkable Farkle McBride.

Homework

Division came home last week and hopefully students are busy practicing their facts!  Completed homework is due on or before February 22^nd. 

Special Messages

• Please send back yellow report card comment pages by Friday.
• This week we will begin MAP testing.  This test is taken online, which will allow teachers to have immediate feedback about the learning of their students.  Students will take three tests in our computer lab during the month of February.  Our testing schedule is as follows:

·  Tuesday, February 7^th, 8:30-10:15am: Reading

·  Monday, February 13^th, 8:30-10:15am: Math

·  Tuesday, February 21^st, 8:30-10:15am: Language Usage

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