December

The staff at GNR has been focusing our professional learning on understanding Executive Function. We have read the book Building Executive Function: The Missing Link to Student Achievement by Nancy Sulla. Here is some information that we’d like to share with our GNR families.

What is Executive Function?

• “Executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one’s resources in order to achieve a goal”

• Specifically, these processes rely on working memory, mental flexibility and self control.

  • working memory-remembering details, holding onto information while considering new information, categorizing

  • cognitive flexibility-shifting focus from one event to another, being creative, catching and correcting errors

  • planning-setting goals, managing time, organizing thoughts and actions

  • reasoning-making inferences, applying information to new situations

  • problem solving-creating mental images, generating possible solutions, predicting outcomes

  • inhibitory control- focusing, concentrating, persisting in a task

  • self awareness-overcoming temptation, reflecting on goals, monitoring performance

Why is it important to develop these skills for life?

• These skills are controlled by the prefrontal cortex in the brain which doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25! That’s why it’s important to strengthen them.

• These skills help people follow directions, focus, control emotions and ultimately attain goals.

• Students will need to have strong social skills and the ability to collaborate

• They need to use higher-order skills in their future

What we are doing at school to help students build executive functioning skills:

• Teaching time management with schedules and having students order their activities to attain conscious control

• Helping students reflect on their learning with learning logs and rubrics to build empowerment

• Empowering students with choice boards

• Guiding students to set goals, reflect on them, and modify them as needed to build efficacy

• Providing discussion protocols to encourage collaboration between students

• Providing opportunities for singing and playing instruments to build working memory

• Incorporating social emotional learning into lessons for emotional awareness and ability to control emotions

What parents can do at home to offer support::

• Encourage children to use time management skills with homework and their schedules after school

• Help children create and use a checklist for after school activities, such as homework

• Play games together such as: Scrabble, Pictionary, Jenga, Chess, Sudoku, and Brain Teasers

• When appropriate, offer children a choice or let them order their activities (decide which things to do first, second, third, etc.)

Another busy month in THIRD grade! It was great to speak with you last month at our virtual conference to discuss your child’s accomplishments and goals for continued growth! In math, we spent much time on place value, rounding and adding/subtracting up to 1000. In October we started learning multiplication properties, facts and strategies. We are continuing to multiply and learning how to solve two step word problems. We love working in small groups and centers. Look out! Division is coming next! We are reading and writing fiction stories. We are identifying story elements to help guide our reading summaries! We love working on our independent reading stamina. It is so much fun listening to books and engaging in “book talks” with our friends. In writing, we have been working through the writing process to develop a sequence of events that we turned into a personal narrative. We divided into learning how to write creative descriptive sentences using our senses. In science, we are discovering and working through the engineering process to help solve problems. Social Studies we are using Studies Weekly to learn more about our communities. The school year is quickly flying by. Here we are, jumping into the 2nd Trimester, and the Holiday Season is upon us. We are constantly reminded and encouraged of the intelligence that your child/ children possess on a daily basis. Please continue to encourage your child/ children to read at least 20 minutes each night, to build both their fluency and comprehension. Your child/ children’s teacher is a great source for additional reading materials. Let’s look at what we have been up to in some Fine Art classes!

Technology - Did you know that December 6th - 12th is the Hour of Code? The "Hour of Code" is a worldwide initiative that introduces millions of students to computer science and computer programming through short one hour (or less) activities. In Technology Class, students use Code.org and Scratch to learn about coding throughout the school year! Through the Code.org and Scratch websites, 3rd Graders are introduced to block coding. Block Coding is a type of programming language where we use blocks of code to solve puzzles and create our own animations. Students who are interested in practicing their coding skills at home can visit the Hour of Code website at https://hourofcode.com/us.

In STEM, third graders created a castle for Mickey Mouse out of 30 index cards and a limited amount of tape. They made it as tall as possible, and it had to hold the weight of a Mickey stuffed animal. This went along with the engineering design process which is something they learned about in science class. Then, they created a magnetic ice hockey game and a magnetic go fish game since they were learning about magnets and forces in science class.

Library has been so World Book Online and also expanding our knowledge of the Library collection through booktalks.