MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas from the students in Room 117! Have a safe and happy holiday season!

FOOD DRIVE

This week, Keystone Kids collected non-perishable food items for our annual Food Drive. All donated items will benefit the Knox Caring Cupboard. Each grade level had a shopping cart outside their quad to collect the donated items. The cart was emptied each day by our sixth graders, who then tallied the day's donations.

Congratulations to sixth grade for winning the grade level contest of donating the most food items. They earned a movie and popcorn party for their efforts!

Third graders, Brandan, Katie, Kami, Annetta, Jessi, Paige, and Emily are pictured above with the third grade cart that was over-flowing on the last day! A big thank you goes out to all those who donated!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

COMPASS ROSE DESIGNS

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dec. 14th: Choir Christmas Concert

Dec. 22nd: a.m. - Movie Day

p.m. - class gift exchange and party

Dec. 23rd: Early dismissal - 1:35 p.m.

Dec. 24th-Jan. 3rd: Christmas Vacation

ACADEMICS (Nov. 23rd - Dec. 4th)

READING

We will be finishing up Spiders at Work before Thanksgiving. The test for the story will be on Tuesday, Nov. 24th. After Thanksgiving we will be taking the Unit Two Reading Test.

Students have finished their Native American Kidspiration projects, and they are on display in the hall by the library, along with their Native American shields that they made.

Some students are working on a Paul Goble project. They will be illustrating and writing about their favorite book by this author.

ENGLISH


Last week, after listening to the story, Thanksgiving at the Tappletons, the students wrote personal narratives about Thanksgiving with their families. They worked long, and hard on this assignment, and their efforts paid off! Look for them on display right outside our classroom.

Next, we'll be moving into our noun unit. We'll be learning about singular and plural nouns, and also common and proper nouns.

MATH

We have started studying the properties of addition. We have learned about the Commutative (order) Property and the Identity (zero) Property. Some time will be spent practicing these properties before we move onto the Associative (grouping) Property.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Our studies of communities has started. We are looking at urban, suburban, and rural communities.

VETERAN'S DAY ASSEMBLY

ACADEMICS (Nov. 9 - 12)

READING

There is no reading story this week because of 4Sight testing on Tues., Wed., and Thurs. We will be reading Paul Goble (the author of Dream Wolf) books instead, when the opportunity presents itself. In between testing, students will also be researching the Native Americans of the Plains in the computer lab, with partners from Mr. Zerbe's room, and creating a "Kidspiration" graphic of their research.

ENGLISH

We will be reviewing our chapter skills and having a chapter test at the end of the week. Topics include: sentences/sentence fragments, the 4 types of sentences (statement, question, command, exclamation), compound/run-on sentences, subjects/predicates, and main idea/supporting details.

SOCIAL STUDIES

This week, there will be a grid map quiz, followed by a map review, and then an end of the unit map test on Thursday, Nov. 12th. Students received map term vocabulary cards on Monday, to study for Thursday's test. Besides the map terms vocabulary, students will need to know: how to draw and label a compass rose, and the name of their continent, country, and state!

MATH

We are wrapping up our place value chapter with a look at word/story problems. Students will learn that there are alternate strategies to solving these types of problems. These include: making a list, drawing a picture/diagram. and making a table.

There will be a place value chapter test next week, following our class review.

SCIENCE

Students are creating a giant-sized model of a flower with their group this week, and will be labeling and defining all of the parts.

APPLE CRUNCH DAY

We had fun today doing a lot of different apple activities. One of the favorites was making apple "smiles" with peanut butter, marshmallows, and of course APPLES!

2009 RED RIBBON WEEK OUTDOOR FITNESS STATION ASSEMBLY

As part of our Red Ribbon Week celebration, ALL students at KES participated in physical fitness activities at seven stations surrounding the building. This activity was designed to promote healthy habits.

Students spent three minutes at each station participating in a fitness exercise. Students had a GREAT time as they: did the Hokey Pokey with Miss Space, jumped with Mr. Clark, danced with 6th graders from Room 116, did the Chicken Dance with Mrs. Wingard, exercised with Mr. Nellis, batted beach balls with Mr. Smith, and finally did the limbo with the reading teachers! A good time was had by all, and we got a little exercise along the way!

APPLE DONATIONS

THANK YOU to all of the parents who donated apples for Apple Crunch Day!

We couln't have done all of our apple activities without you! Thanks again!

ACADEMICS (Oct. 26-30)

READING

We are breaking away from our basal reader this week and reading, "The Biggest Pumpkin Ever", by Steven Kroll. It is a delightful story about two mice, each without the other's knowledge, who help a pumpkin grow into "the biggest pumpkin ever"--but for different purposes.

Students will complete, and be graded on, a "pumpkin packet" of assorted skills with this story that include: comprehension, problem/solution, sequencing, dictionary skills, phonetic elements, and ABC order.

ENGLISH

We are continuing with compound sentences, and will then move on to identifying, and correcting run-on sentences. Run-on sentences can be corrected either of two ways...1) breaking it apart into 2 separate, complete sentences... or... 2) adding ", and" to turn it into a compound sentence.

MATH

We had a quiz on Friday on rounding to the tens with double digit numbers. Students have also been introduced to rounding triple digit numbers to the tens. This will be followed by rounding numbers to the hundreds.

Our Addition Fact Challenge is in its LAST WEEK. Students have until Thursday, Oct. 29th to complete their facts through the 9's. On that date, they will also be given the TIMED 100 addition math facts test, which is worth 50 points.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Students, your compass rose designs are awesome! Job well done! The hallway display looks terrific! Parents, your child's grade for this project will be coming home this week. Partner playground maps have also been completed and are now on display in the hall by the library.

A room map homework project, rough draft paper, and the rubric that will be used to grade this activity will be coming home on Monday. Students are to create a map of a room of their choice in their home. The FINAL COPY of this assignment is due on MONDAY, Nov. 2nd.

RED RIBBON WEEK Oct. 26-30

This year's theme is "TEAM UP AGAINST DRUGS!"

Monday--"Rally in Red and Sock it to Drugs!"
Wear the color RED and crazy SOCKS!

Tuesday--"You Won't See Me Using Drugs!"
Wear CAMO!

Wednesday--"Put a Cap on Drugs!"
Wear your favorite HAT!

Thursday--"Drugs Will Make You Crazy!"
CRAZY HAIR day!

Friday--"Team Up Against Drugs!"
Wear SPORTS APPAREL--jerseys, uniforms, t-shirts, etc.

APPLE CRUNCH DAY Oct.28th

On Wednesday, October 28, we will celebrate one of nature’s fast foods – apples – by celebrating Apple Crunch Day.

We will be doing apple centers that day with Mr. Zerbe's class. Throughout the entire week, we will also be participating in various activities centered around apples.

Celebrated annually during National Apple Month, Apple Crunch teaches important facts about healthy snacking and getting five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Over the past five years, Apple Crunch has been very successful in Pennsylvania where schools, community youth organizations, local grocery stores and the apple industry have collectively promoted apples and apple products as a healthy snack.

FIREMEN VISIT

Smokey the Bear and his friends from the Knox Volunteer Fire Company spent the day at KES during Fire Prevention Week. Students in Grades K-3 learned all about fire safety, and got an up close and personal tour of a fire engine!

WALK TO/AT SCHOOL DAY

BRRRR! What a brisk morning it was today, for our walk around the high school track! We all zipped up, put smiles on our faces and got some exercise! I have to brag and say that we were the last class to leave the track (except for a few straggling kindergartners)! Most of us walked (and did a little running, too) a total of TWO miles! Eight complete laps! CONGRATULATIONS ROOM 117!

Now, turn off the TV, computer, and video games once in a while, and get up and get some exercise to stay healthy! YOU CAN DO IT! You proved that today!

ACADEMICS (Oct. 12-16)

READING

We are continuing our story, "Max Malone", until Tuesday, October 13th; which is when the story's test will be given. From Wed. - Fri., the Unit One Reading Test will be administered.

MATH

In math this week we will be working on identifying odd and even numbers, and will also be finding numbers to continue a given number pattern. We will then be moving on to rounding numbers to the tens and hundreds.

ENGLISH

We had a quiz on subjects of a sentence last week, and are now studying predicates. This will be followed by compound sentences.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We had a quiz on map keys and symbols last Friday, and this week we will be making playground maps with a partner. A graded homework assignment to create a room map will be coming home this week as well.

SCIENCE

We are continuing our seed study, and are in the middle of an experiment with lima bean seeds.

We are trying to determine if open seeds grow faster than closed seeds. We'll let you know our results!

ACADEMICS (Oct. 5-9)

READING

This week we are reading, "Max Malone", a story in which two boys figure out a way to earn money. In the end, by helping a sick friend, they learn what their money is really worth. Skills include: problem/solution, using an index, story elements, and compound words. The test for this story will be on Tuesday, Oct. 13th.

MATH

We have moved on from place value to comparing numbers using the greater and less than signs, and listing numbers in order from least to greatest, and greatest to least.

ENGLISH

After learning about the 4 types of sentences (statement, question, command, exclamation), we are now studying subjects and predicates.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Our study of maps continues. We are now learning about map keys and their symbols. Students will be creating their own town map with a partner.

ADDITION FACTS CHALLENGE

Our third grade Addition Facts Challenge officially began on Monday, Sept. 21st. A letter was sent home on that date that explained how the challenge works. Your child should be bringing home his/her math facts daily to practice. If he/she spends just a little time practicing each day, that time will really pay off. The Addition Challenge will end on Oct. 29th. At this time, your child needs to be completed with his/her facts up through the 9's, as this is a graded assignment. Also, a 100 fact timed test will be given on this date, including all facts from the 0's - 9's, that will be worth 50 points. These facts are essential to all further math operations and need to be mastered. Thank you for your continued parent support.

WHAT'S NEW?

We had our schoolwide Olweus Bullying Prevention Program assembly on Friday, Sept. 18th. The program's Anti-Bullying School Rules were reviewed and recited. Sixth grade students performed a skit to demonstrate what bullying looks like and sounds like, and what you can do to help stop it. There was also a team challenge to show the benefits of working together. The winning fifth grade team beat the teacher team by pulling together and giving it their very best effort! Anti-Bullying Pledges were sent home with all students, to be signed and returned. A special "Catch Them Being Good" display will be centered in the cafeteria; with monthly prizes drawn and awarded to recognized students. Here's to a Bully-Free school year!

READING TO YOUR THIRD GRADER

So many times when a child learns to read a parent stops reading to a child. We rationalize it by saying, “Well, he can read himself now; he does not need me to read to him anymore.” This is only partly true.

Third graders may indeed know how to read, but they still enjoy being read to. Here are some of the benefits:

• Snuggling up on the couch to read to your child (who is now too big to sit on your lap) gives you and your child quality time together.
• You can model for your child good expressive reading.
• Your child can be exposed to books that are too hard for him/her to read by himself, but are not too hard for him/her to understand.
• Your child’s listening vocabulary is greater than his/her reading vocabulary.
  It is a great way to wind down at the end of the day for both you and the child.
• Reading to your child will help them to be better at comprehending what he/she reads.
• And you can help your child better comprehend by doing the following:
• Ask your child to predict what he/she thinks will happen next and then listen carefully to see if that prediction comes true.
• Ask your child to stop you if he/she wants you reread a section that they do not understand.
• Make connections to your own life as you read and ask your child if he/she hears anything to which he/she can connect. Say, “This part of the story reminds me of ….”.
• When you are done reading ask your child what part he/she liked the best or the least.
• If it is a picture book, stop and look at the pictures before you read and then again while you read.
• Ask which character in the story would he or she like for a friend and why.
• Talk about the plot of the story: what was the problem and how was it solved.

When you do the above suggestions, you are modeling for your child what he/she should be doing when they read.

The goal is to help children love to read and to understand what they are reading.

Let me know how this works for you. Any success stories?

OUR ONE OF A KIND SCULPTURE

On Tuesday, September 1st, "Artist Dave" presented our school with this beautiful sculpture of sixth grader, Kelly, during our schoolwide assembly, outside by the flagpole. The statue of Kelly flying a kite was unveiled to hundreds of "ooohs"and "aaahs"! Kelly earned the distinct honor of being the model for the sculpture when she won an essay contest back in fourth grade. Members of Kelly's family were present for this special event, along with community members, students, faculty, and staff.

CONGRATULATIONS PENS!

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!

LET'S GO PENS!

SCHOOL'S OUT!

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The girls and boys from Third Grade Room 117 at Keystone Elementary in Knox, PA would like to wish you all a HAPPY SUMMER VACATION!

SPELLING BEE WINNERS!

CONGRATULATIONS to the 3rd Grade Spelling Bee winners! 1st place: Nate(center), 2nd place: Cassidy(left), & 3rd place Michaela(right). The top 3 worked hard for their awards - the spelling bee went 41 rounds!

THANK YOU PARENTS

• A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Byerley, Mrs. Gregory, Mrs. Runyan, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Horne, who chaperoned our trip to Cook Forest!


• Another thank you goes out to Ms. Kahle, Ms. Shearer, and Mrs. Warner who helped on Science Fun Day!


• And last but not least, a thank you to all of the parents who donated hot dog buns for our third grade picnic!

YOUR EFFORTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Congratulations to this quarter's Lighthouse Award Winners!

Perfect Attendance: Rachel, Tessa, Ryan, Makenzie, Becca
Best Friend: Abbie, Madison
Random Acts of Kindness: Karlee, Makenzie
Most Improved: Claire, Mercedes
Most Hard-Working: Michaela, Austin
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Recommended Reading Grades 3-4: Children's Choice Books 2008

Young Readers

The Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up
Marvel Comics.
This pop-up hardback comic book draws in young readers with the history of Spider-Man and his enemies. Spider-Man's beginning story is woven in, explaining how he changed from an attention-seeking boy to a man who does good deeds for people. (Team 3)
Candlewick. 16 pp. US$19.99 (trade).

Animals in the House: A History of Pets and People
From Animals in the House: A History of Pets and People by Sheila Keenan; Scholastic Nonfiction.
Sheila Keenan. Ill. with photographs.
Fascinating facts, historical details, endearing animal photographs, and some famous people with their pets are presented in a colorful and inviting format that provides young pet lovers with an abundance of reasons for why we love our furry or feathered friends. (Team 4)
Scholastic Nonfiction. 112 pp. US$17.99 (trade). CAN$21.99.

Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm.
Spirited Babymouse is back and, this time she goes to camp. As she tries to help her cabin mates win the coveted camp award, things don't go as planned, but Babymouse makes it a memorable experience nonetheless. (Team 3)
Random House Books for Young Readers. 96 pp. US$12.99 (library). Pb., Random House Books for Young Readers. US$5.99. CAN$6.99.

Babymouse: Heartbreaker
Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm.
Babymouse daydreams about her date for the Valentine's Day dance. When she can't get a date, she goes alone. She is bored and about to go home when Georgie (a giraffe) asks her to dance. The evening ends happily. (Team 5)
Random House Books for Young Readers. 96 pp. US$12.99 (library). Pb., Random House Books for Young Readers. US$5.99. CAN$6.99.

Big Cats: Hunters of the Night
Elaine Landau. Ill. with photographs.
Beautiful photographs of wild cats from around the world draw readers into this accessible nonfiction book. With all the components of good expository texts, this book informs readers that big cats' greatest enemies are humans who clear-cut jungles and forests. (Team 3)
Enslow Publishers. 32 pp. US$22.60 (library).

The Book Club Kit
Patti Kelley Criswell. Ill. Ali Douglass.
This kit contains helpful directions for starting a book club and includes question cards, bookmarks, and activity cards. Suggestions for being a good listener and participant are also included to encourage readers to talk about what they are reading. (Team 3)
American Girl Publishing. 56 pp. US$10.95 (trade).

Could You? Would You?
Trudy White.
This wonderful book allows children to imagine things that they would do if they could. This is a book that everyone can relate to, no matter their background. (Team 4)
Kane/Miller. 89 pp. Pb., US$12.95. CAN$15.95.

Crazy Cars
Matt Doeden. Ill. with photographs.
From Henry Ford's Quadricycle to the fastest dragster, the most unique cars of all time are spotlighted in this captivating book that enthralls young readers as they learn about the intriguing history and continuing fascination with the automobile. (Team 4)
Lerner. 48 pp. US$26.60 (library).

Dare to Dream!
Carl Sommer. Ill. Jorge Martinez, Greg Budwine, and Kennon James.
By listening to stories told by his father and grandparents, a young boy learns how choices can lead to overcoming adversity. The lives of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Ben Franklin, and Helen Keller are highlighted. (Team 2)
Advance Publishers. 48 pp. US$9.95 (library).

Dinosaurium: 10 Books in One
Laura Buller and Carey Scott.
There's a book for every dinosaur characteristic in this cleverly packaged assortment of fossil knowledge. Dinopedia, Dino Dinners, Dino Swatch (of skins!), Dinotimeline, and others that offer endless prehistoric engagement for kids who are wild about dinosaurs. (Team 4)
DK Publishing. 20 pp. US$24.99 (trade). CAN$29.99.

Dinosaurs Across America
Phil Yeh.
Patrick Rabbit and three dinosaur friends take a trip through a magic map to learn about all of the United States. In graphic novel format, information for each state is accessible and encourages further reading to learn more. (Team 3)
Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing. 32 pp. US$12.95 (trade).

Do Not Open: An Encyclopedia of the World's Best-Kept Secrets
John Farndon.
The name of the book alone gets readers to pick it up. Once open, the reader finds it packed with weird and interesting facts. Readers engage in learning through rich illustrations of the world's best-kept secrets. This book contains much more than just trivia. (Team 1)
DK Publishing. 256 pp. US$24.99 (trade). CAN$29.99.

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society
Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers. Ill. Erik Brooks.
These short stories show life through a dog's eyes. Some have historical settings like ancient Egypt, and some explain quirky dog behavior. All are told simply and humorously, as a dog might, so they are easily understood by younger readers. (Team 4)
Henry Holt. 64 pp. US$15.95 (trade). CAN$19.95.

Dogs
Meish Goldish. Ill. with photographs.
From the Smart Animals series, Dogs uses simple, informational text and photographs to describe how intelligent and loyal these canines are. Two-page chapters discuss topics such as service dogs, the smartest dogs, Pavlov's experiments, and wild dogs. This book includes a glossary, bibliography, and index. (Team 5)
Bearport. 32 pp. US$18.95 (library).

Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case
Donald J. Sobol.
Children will enjoy beating Encyclopedia to the solution in each of these 10 short stories. The cases require different knowledge to solve them so this collection is good for history buffs or budding scientists. (Team 2)
Dutton. 90 pp. US$15.99 (trade). CAN$20.00. Pb., Puffin. US$4.99.

Every Minute on Earth: Fun Facts That Happen Every 60 Seconds
Steve Murrie and Matthew Murrie. Ill. Mary Anne Lloyd.
Readers find this book to be a fun way to learn facts about our planet and challenge other readers to match wits as they become knowledgeable citizens of the earth. Students learn nonfiction can be fun. (Team 1)
Scholastic Reference. 224 pp. Pb., US$9.99. CAN$11.99.

Explorer: A Daring Guide for Young Adventurers
Dugald A. Steer. Ill. Milivoj Ceran and Alastair Graham.
Go forth and explore! Armed with sage advice, historical examples, and helpful instructions, readers are encouraged to become explorers with fun pop-ups, booklets, flaps, letters, and even an adventurer's board game in this interactive informational book. (Team 3)
Candlewick. 32 pp. US$15.99 (trade).

Extreme Dinosaurs
Robert Mash. Ill. Stuart Martin.
The oldest, smallest, heaviest, toughest, fastest, slowest, most ferocious, longest, tallest, smartest, and most extreme eaters are among the dinosaurs described in this book. Drawings, photographs, posters, foldouts, and movable parts help readers learn more about these animals. (Team 5)
Atheneum. 32 pp. US$21.99 (trade). CAN$26.99.

Extreme Pets!
Jane Harrington. Ill. with photographs.
A humorous and informative guide to unusual pets, such as skunks, hedgehogs, slugs, and hissing cockroaches. Each pet is graded for coolness, aroma, neatness, ease of care, and cost. Kids also learn how to convince their parents they need one. (Team 5)
Scholastic Reference. 163 pp. US$12.99 (trade). CAN$14.99.

Goosebumps Graphix 3: Terror Trips
R.L. Stine. Ill. Jill Thompson, Jamie Tolagson, and Amy Kim Ganter.
Stine's brand of horror combines with the graphic novel format to grab readers' attention. The book provides fun and scary tales in short, easy reads, a genre enjoyed by this age group. Black and white illustrations and different art styles add to the intrigue. (Team 1)
Graphix. 140 pp. US$16.99 (trade). US$17.99 (library). CAN$20.99. Pb., Graphix. US$8.99.

A Horse in the House and Other Strange but True Animal Stories
Gail Ablow. Ill. Kathy Osborn.
A Komodo dragon undergoes acupuncture, donkeys get married, a parrot captures robbers, a greyhound wears contact lenses, a cow eats diamonds, an elephant is fitted with dentures, a chicken visits a psychologist, and more “strange but true” stories can be found in this book. (Team 5)
Candlewick. 40 pp. US$17.99 (trade).

How Big Is It? A BIG Book All About BIGNESS
Ben Hillman. Ill. with photographs.
Living, extinct, human-made, and geological BIG wonders fill this book. Interesting facts accompany large photographs that provide visual comparisons to show the true enormity of these objects. Layout, pictures, and information make this book irresistible.
Scholastic Reference. 48 pp. US$14.99 (trade). CAN$17.99.

Medical Detective Dogs
Frances E. Ruffin. Ill. with photographs.
Young readers love dogs. The fact that dogs can be used to help people detect illnesses is even more intriguing. Readers find this book factual, informative, and very interesting. (Team 1)
Bearport Publishing. 32 pp. US$18.95 (library).

Military Dogs
Frances E. Ruffin. Ill. with photographs.
This book traces the history of dogs in the military from 1884 to the present. Illustrations provide photographs of dogs in action during war. The stories about dogs who became heroes especially interests boys in this age group. (Team 2)
Bearport Publishing. 32 pp. US$18.95 (library).

Monday With a Mad Genius

Monday With a Mad Genius by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Sal Murdocca, published by Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
Mary Pope Osborne. Ill. Sal Murdocca.
In this educational fiction book, Jack and Annie magically travel back in time to meet Leonardo da Vinci through whom they also meet Mona Lisa. History comes alive as readers learn about the Renaissance and search for the secrets of happiness. (Team 1)
Random House. 128 pp. US$14.99 (library). US$11.99 (trade). CAN$15.99. Pb., Random House. US$4.99.

Mythology
Dugald A. Steer.
The illustrations, maps, and interactive pop-ups in this book will develop a child's interest in mythology. Add to that a sidebar of mystery on every page and they will learn the relationships between the characters in no time. (Team 2)
Candlewick. 32 pp. US$19.99 (trade). Pb., Back Bay Books. US$13.99.

Old Penn Station
William Low.
This story accurately chronicles the rise and fall of an amazing building during the height of train travel in and out of New York City. Readers are engaged by lifelike illustrations. (Team 1)
Henry Holt. 40 pp. US$16.95 (trade). CAN$21.00.

The Painted Circus
Wallace Edwards.
Each page reveals an intriguing optical illusion or visual puzzle for the reader to solve, from spotting pirates to counting ducks. This delightful book will charm and entertain young readers. (Team 3)
Kids Can. 32 pp. US$17.95 (trade).

Race Horses
Copyright © 2007 Bearport Publishing Company, Inc.
Michael Sandler. Ill. with photographs.
From the Horse Power series, this volume uses simple informational text and photographs to describe horse racing, famous races, and some of the most famous race horses. A table of contents, index, and glossary are included. (Team 5)
Bearport Publishing. 32 pp. US$18.95 (library).

Real-Life Sea Monsters
Judith Jango-Cohen. Ill. Ryan Durney.
This book asks, Are sea monsters fact or fiction? Vivid illustrations grab the reader's attention from the first page. Deep-sea tall tales are contrasted with current research. (Team 4)
Millbrook. 48 pp. US$25.26 (library).

The Richest Poor Kid
Carl Sommer. Ill. Jorge Martinez.
In a modern-day twist on the story of King Midas's touch, Randy learns that if you have a loving home, clothes to wear, and food to eat you can be happy. This book teaches the character traits of appreciation, cheerfulness, and trust. (Team 2)
Advance Publishing. 48 pp. US$16.95 (library). US$9.99 (trade).

Scholastic Book of World Records 2008
Jenifer Corr Morse. Ill. with photographs.
Fascinating photographs and text in almanac format works perfectly for readers in this age group. Well-written, concise, and interesting details engage students, who will not want to stop reading. (Team 1)
Scholastic Reference. 304 pp. US$9.99 (trade). CAN$11.99.

See What You Can Be: Explore Careers That Could Be for You!
Diane Heiman and Liz Suneby. Ill. Tracey Wood.
An appealing journal format, lively cartoons and photographs, engaging activities that match personalities and interests to potential career choices, combined with spotlights on real women in real professions, give young girls a wide range of future possibilities to explore. (Team 4)
American Girl Publishing. 108 pp. Pb., US$9.95.

Spike the Rebel!
Carl Sommer. Ill. Enrique Vignolo.
Spike is a big bully who thinks that he doesn't need anybody. But when he is hurt and a neighbor helps him, he discovers that kindness and caring for others is important after all. (Team 2)
Advance Publishing. 48 pp. US$16.95 (library).

Turtle Summer: A Journal for My Daughter
Cover art by Sylvan Dell Publishing; photo by Barbara J. Bergwerf for Turtle Summer: A Journal for My Daughter (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007).
Mary Alice Monroe. Photographs by Barbara J. Bergwerf.
The nature photography and sketches in this book will teach young children about the wonders of the sea turtle and how to respect and preserve the turtles' natural habitat. (Team 2)
Sylvan Dell. 32 pp. US$15.95 (trade). Pb., Sylvan Dell. US$8.95.

Wolves
Duncan Searl. Ill. with photographs.
Everything you need to know about wolves is here. The text includes sections on wolves' intelligence, life in the wild, and protection as an endangered species. This is a great resource for reports, due to the number of quick facts. (Team 2)
Bearport Publishing. 32 pp. US$18.95 (library).

The Worst Name in Third Grade
Debbie Dadey. Ill. Tamara Petrosino.
What could be worse than being named Bridgett Butt? Nothing—until her favorite teacher moves, her best friend chooses someone else, and Bridgett's beloved dog becomes ill (but only temporarily). Although things look bleak, all is well in the end. (Team 5)
Scholastic Paperbacks. 66 pp. Pb., US$3.99 (trade). CAN$4.99.

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COOK FOREST FIELD TRIP

We had an absolutely wonderful day at Cook Forest on Wednesday! Mother Nature cooperated and we had perfect weather. All of the students were mixed into 4 groups and rotated among the 4 hands-on activities. These included: a scavenger hunt, team-building games, tree identification, and a craft based on rock layers. Midway through, we all enjoyed a picnic lunch in the great outdoors, with an opportunity to do some exploring in the forest. Lots of science was shared that day, and a good time was had by all!

LAST SPELLING WORDS FOR THE YEAR! (MAY 18 -22)

HOMOPHONES

ate
eight
meet
meat
one
won
so
sew
to
too
two
ant
aunt
do
due

CHALLENGE
brain
solve
subject
communicate
social

ATTENTION ALL THIRD GRADERS

If you are visiting this blog, check out some of my favorite KID links and let me know which ones are YOUR favorite! I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

ACADEMICS (May 18 - 22)

A BUSY week is ahead of us, as our school year comes to an end. Lots of final tests and projects to get done.

READING
We are wrapping up the year with our end of the year unit test. Students will be reading a story of their choice this week, and reporting on their favorite story of the whole year.

ENGLISH
We are pronoun experts, and will have our final English unit test this week. We will also be completing our last writing prompt (expository).

MATH
We are finishing up Chapter 8 and will have a chapter test at the end of the week. Topics include lines, rays, line segments, angles, polygons, quadrilaterals, triangles, perimeter, area, and volume.

Just a reminder that our multiplication fact challenge ends on Friday, May 22nd.

SOCIAL STUDIES
We're ending the year with a Jamestown Settlement quiz, and our final social studies project. Each student will be making a Jamestown colonist's house to add to our construction of a model of Jamestown Settlement.

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 19 & 21 - Third Grade Olympics (weather permitting)

Students will be participating in a variety of "sporting" events. Most of the events are outside so be sure to dress appropriately. Sunscreen, a hat, and a bottle of water are a must have!

May 20 - Third Grade Science Fun Day

This day will focus on numerous hands-on, fun, science activities. We'll also be having a picnic lunch/cookout. Please bring in requested food items, if you are able, no later than Tuesday May 19th.

May 21 - Lighthouse Awards

May 22 - LAST DAY for Multiplication Fact Challenge

May 25 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

May 28 - Last Day for Students

JUST A REMINDER

With the arrival of nice weather, please be reminded that Keystone School District has a dress code. Please refer to the school's handbook for dress code information. All families received a copy of the school's handbook at the beginning of the year. You can also find the handbook on the school's web page listed under the very first link in the Parent section.

SPELLING BEE PARTICIPANTS

CONGRATULATIONS to Onycka, Rachel, Tessa, John, Becca, and Michaela for qualifying for the Third Grade Spelling Bee on Friday, May 15, 2009.

Each third grade classroom had its own individual spelling bee to determine the participants. The top five (in our case -6, due to a tie) were chosen to move on to the grade level bee.

The spelling bee will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the group instruction room. Parents, family, and friends of the participants are invited to attend. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

THIS WEEK'S SPELLING WORDS (MAY 11-15)

WORDS WITH SILENT LETTERS

wrong
wrinkle
known
knock
knife
comb
limb
crumb
palm
folk
calf
whole
height
daylight
frightening

CHALLENGE
bitter
crystal
kingdom
gripped
vanished

SUMMER BIRTHDAYS

Summer birthdays will be celebrated during the last two weeks of school. Students may choose an"unbirthday" date to celebrate their special day. Just send in a note with your child to let me know the date he/she has chosen, and that day will be "reserved" for him/her.

MULTIPLICATION FACT CHALLENGE

Congratulations to Tessa and John for being the first students to complete our Multiplication Fact Challenge! Thank you for all of your hard work practicing your facts. WELL DONE!