Week 9

Class Notes

Reminder: This Wednesday is an Early Release Day with a 12:15 dismissal.

Fall Conferences will begin on November 3rd. Please sign up for your conference HERE. I’m looking forward to meeting with you, sharing your third grader’s portfolio of work, and discussing their goals for the year. It’s always such a joy to celebrate how much they’ve already grown! 

Literacy Lessons: This week, we’ll be comparing the main character in My Name is María Isabel with the main character in Dyamonde Daniel. Students will also think about their own identity and character traits, reflecting on how they are similar to or different from these characters.
Vocabulary (Unit 1): cherish, delighted, determined, empathetic, extraordinary, grateful, identity, impatient, insist, irritated, lonely, misunderstanding, observant, odd, open-minded, reassure, reflective, scowl, self-aware, and stubborn.

Fundations: We’ll begin Unit 3, focusing on vowel-consonant-e syllables. You can find helpful home resources for Unit 3 HERE if you’d like to support practice at home.

Math: Our class is starting Unit 2 in Illustrative Math: Area and Multiplication. Students will explore what “area” means and discover how it connects to multiplication and addition through hands-on activities and problem solving.

Science: In Science, students will become paleontologists! We’ll explore how scientists learn from changes in ancient habitats and the fossil evidence left behind. Students will observe and compare evidence from long ago with animals that live today-- and use clues to identify a mystery animal from the past.

Second Step: This week’s SEL lesson is “Using Self-Talk.” Students are learning how positive self-talk can help them stay focused, calm, and confident. Self-talk can also help students manage their emotions so they can make better decisions in stressful situations.

Repeat Announcements

Warm Clothes and Footwear:
The heat is ON! Now that the heaters are running, our classroom can get quite toasty. Pro tip: students should dress in layers so they can bundle up for recess but have a lighter layer to stay comfortable indoors. If your child wears rain or snow boots to school, please send in a pair of indoor shoes, sneakers, or even slippers. They’ll be much more comfortable moving around the classroom and school in dry shoes.

Mystery Reader:
Would you like to volunteer as our next Mystery Reader? Click HERE to sign up.

Picture retakes:

Picture retakes will take place on November 4th. Please let me know if you would like your child to have their photo taken again.

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!

Library Reminder: 

Our book swap day in the Media Center is every Wednesday. Please help your child remember to return their library books.

Links for more information: 

Click HERE for home support materials for  Unit 2 of Fundations

Click HERE  for home support materials for Unit 1 of Fundations

Click HERE for home support materials for Unit 3 of Fundations

Link to access Clever from home

Directions:

Log in with Google

Enter student username (initials + # @students.needham.k12.ma.us)

Enter student password 

Click on ST Math App or Amplify App then Boost

Special Subject Schedule

Monday -- Art

Tuesday -- P.E. & Spanish

Wednesday -- Media

Thursday -- P.E.

Friday -- Music & Spanish

Important Dates

Wednesday, October 22nd -- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal

Monday, November 10th-- No School, Professional Development Day

Tuesday, November 11th-- No School, Veterans' Day

Wednesday, November 19th-- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal

Wednesday, November 26-- Thanksgiving Break, no school

Monday, December 1st-- Class resumes

Wednesday, December 3rd-- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal

Created 10/2025

Jennifer_ramras@needham.k12.ma.us