Week 8
Reminder: This Wednesday is an Early Release Day; 12:15 dismissal.
Reading & Word Study
This week, we will continue building our skills with multisyllabic words by exploring how prefixes and suffixes change the meanings of words. Students will practice identifying word parts, breaking words into smaller chunks, and using these clues to read, spell, and understand longer words. Our words this week include disrespectful, distrustful, misleading, misprinted, returning, safekeeping, tablespoon, uneventful, unlawful, and unturned.
Writing
The excitement is building as we bring our Magic Tree House stories to life! This week, students will put the finishing touches on their books by revising, editing, and adding illustrations. They will use the spelling patterns and suffixes we’ve studied, check for complete sentences and correct dialogue punctuation, and make sure their writing is clear and polished. Once our books are ready, we’ll celebrate our hard work with a Publishing Party where students can share their imaginative adventures with others. We can’t wait to see these amazing stories come to life!
Math
We are diving into our new unit on Area! Students will explore area as the amount of space covered by a shape and compare shapes to determine which has a greater or smaller area. They will learn how to measure area by covering shapes with equal-sized square units, making sure there are no gaps or overlaps. As they build their understanding, students will connect area to repeated addition, skip-counting, and multiplication. We’re excited to discover how our multiplication skills can help us measure and solve problems in new ways!
Science
Get ready to become fossil detectives! We will kick off our new focus on fossils with a special visit from Mr. Fossil, who will introduce third graders to the fascinating world of fossils. Students will learn how fossils provide clues about plants, animals, and habitats from long ago. We will connect this learning to our study of animal adaptations, exploring how animals’ traits help them survive in their habitats and how fossils can help scientists understand how life and environments on Earth have changed over millions of years. We can’t wait to dig into this exciting new topic!
Social Emotional Learning
This week, we will continue building our planning and problem-solving skills! Students will practice evaluating plans and creating their own three-step plans to tackle everyday challenges, such as keeping their desks organized or remembering to charge their iPads. Using a Good Plan Checklist, we will consider whether the steps are in a logical order, simple, and achievable. These skills will help students become more independent and confident as they navigate both academic and social challenges.
Google Classroom at Home
Many students have asked if they can access our Google Classroom from home. Yes! With parent permission and supervision, students can access our Google Classroom from a home device. Directions HERE.
Repeat Announcements:
Mystery Reader: Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Chen, our first Mystery Readers last week. Would you like to be our next Mystery Reader? Click HERE to sign up.
Library Reminder: Our book swap day in the Media Center is every Monday. Please help your child remember to return their library books.
Third Grade Homework Expectations
3rd graders are expected to read for 25-30 minutes each night. Third graders can choose to read independently, read with a partner, listen to audiobooks or enjoy a family read aloud. The big idea is to encourage a life-long love of reading!
School Breakfast Eaters
YAY! I’ve noticed a big improvement in the number of students arriving right at 8:05, which gives them plenty of time to grab breakfast, eat, and still get settled and started on their morning work. Thank you! One little reminder: school breakfast is definitely a great way to start the day, but once breakfast is finished, it’s time to jump into our morning routine. We’re working on making those first few minutes count!
A Quick Shoe Reminder
I love a good pair of Crocs as much as anyone, but in third grade, our feet need to be playground and P.E. ready! Crocs and flip-flops can slip off while running, climbing, and playing, and they have a funny way of escaping when we’re sitting on the rug, too! Please send your child to school in secure, supportive shoes that stay on their feet so they can safely run, jump, climb, and learn. Thank you!
Scholastic Book Ordering
If you would like to order books through Scholastic Book Clubs, our online ordering code is DPC2T (purchasing online is required). SHOP OUR CLASS PAGE. By building your home library with Scholastic, you will also be helping to build our classroom library. The more books students order, the more free books we get for our classroom library!
Special Subject Schedule
Monday -- Art & Media - Please return your Media books every Monday so you can check out new books each week.
Tuesday -- P.E. & Spanish
Wednesday -- Music
Thursday -- P.E.
Friday -- Spanish
Important Dates
Wednesday, October 21st -- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal
Sunday, October 25th-- Trunk or Treat, 4:00-5:30
Tuesday, November 3rd -- No School, Staff Development Day
Thursday, November 5th-- Picture Re-Takes
Wednesday, November 11th-- No School, Veterans' Day
Wednesday, November 18th-- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal
Wednesday, November 25th-- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal
Thursday, November 26th-- Thanksgiving Recess
Monday, November 30th-- Classes resume
Created 10/2026
Jennifer_ramras@needham.k12.ma.us